Combined washbench and rack.



No. 664,567. PatentedDec; 25, I900.

c. B. MARTIN.

COMBINED WASHBENCH AND BACK.

(Application filed June 30, 1900.)

(No Model.)

l gazior el ifargcys and novel combination and arrangement of UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MARTIN, OF WAUPUN, WISCONSIN.

COMBINED WASHBEN'CH AND RACK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 664,567, dated December 25, 1900.

Application filed June so, 1900.

To aZZ whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waupun, in the county of Dodge and State ofWisconsin, have invented a new and useful Gombined Washbench and Rack, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in combined washbenches and racks.

The object of the present invention is to improve the cdnstruction of folding washbenches and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one which will be strong and durable and which will be adapted to be readily arranged to form a towel-rack.

The invention consists in the construction parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a combined washbench and rack constructed in accordance with this invention, the parts being arranged to form a bench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the hinged frames or sections being shown in dotted lines at an inclination to form a towel-rack. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlugs.

1 1 designate inclined standards arranged in pairs, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and connected at their lower ends by transverse rungs 2 and having their upper ends 3, which are rounded, connected by pivots 4 to perforated ears of metal plates 5, secured to the opposite sides of a vertical frame 6, and the said standards are adapted to fold together, as hereinafter explained. The central vertical frame consists of a horizontal wringer-supporting board 7 anda pair of depending vertical arms 8, secured at their upper ends to the terminals of the wringer-supporting board and forming vertical guides for a pair of slides 9, which are connected with the inner ends of a pair of hinged or pivoted supporting-frames 10. The supporting-frames 10, which are adapted to be arranged in a horizontal posi Serial No. 22,197. (No model.)

tion, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, to provide supports for a pair of tubs, are capable of being swung upward to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whenthe parts are arranged to form a towel-rack, and the said frames are also adapted to fold compactly against the vertical frame. The upper ends of the sides of the vertical frame 6 may be secured to the wringer-supporting board in any suitable manner; but they are preferably mortised to receive the ends of such board, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. These sides or arms 8 are provided at their inner faces with vertical grooves 11 for the reception of vertical ribs 12 of the slides 9, which are provided with horizontal loops orsleeves 14, located between the ends\of the slides, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The'lower portions of the slides are extended laterally and perforated to form ears 13 to receive pivots 15, which connect the slides and. the rectangular frames 10. The rectangular frames 10 consist of side bars 16 and suitable transverse connecting,

bars, the side bars being rounded at their inner ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, to enable them to swing freely on the pivots 15. The rectangular supporting-frames are connected with the standards, between the ends thereof, by pins 17, and these fastening devices 17, which project laterally from the side bars of the frames 10, are arranged in longitudinal slots 18, which permit the pivoted frames. 10 to swing upward to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings without causing the standards to be drawn closer together by such operation. The standards are moved outward slightly from the position illustrated in full lines to that shown in dotted lines, and the pivoted frames will be retained in such elevated position by the support afforded by the inclined standards, which will prevent them from swinging downward. As the longitudinal slots are straight and not concentric with the pivots of the frames, the latter cannot swing downward without drawing the standards inward from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to that illustrated in full lines, and the weight of the device will prevent such inward movement of the standards.

The vertically-movable slides- 9 are held against upward' and downward movement on the vertical guides by means of upper and lower pins 19 and 20, which are removable, and when it is desired to fold the device the lower pins 20 are withdrawn to permit the slides to move downward. The standards are adapted to fold against the sides of the vertical frame, and the rectangular su pporting-frames will fold compactly within the standards. When it is desired to fold the rectangular su pportingv frames, the slides may be moved either upward or downward;

but it is preferable to raise them,as the folding may be effected without separating the slides from -the vertical frame.

'When the parts are arranged, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, to provide a bench, the latter is adapted to receive two tubs, and a wringer maybe mounted upon the wringer-supporting board to arrange it between such tubs, so that it will be in a convenient position for operating on the clothes or other fabrics.

- It will beseen that the combined rack and washbench is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily arranged to form either a bench or a rack, and that it is adapted to be compactly folded when not in use. Furthermore, it will be seen that the vertically-movable slides firmly support the pivoted frames in any of their several posit-ions and that they permit the frames to be readily adjusted from one position to another.

What I claim is- -1. A device of the class described comprising a vertical frame adapted to support a 'wringer, standards pivotally connected with the said frame and provided between their ends with longitudinal slots, vertically-movable slides mounted on the vertical frame,

and the supporting-frames pivotally connect ed with the slides and provided with devices arranged inthe said slots, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising the inclined standards, the vertical frame depending from'the upper ends of the standards and having the same pivoted to it and extending downward and terminating above the supporting-surface at about the center of the standards, said vertical frame being provided at opposite sides with vertical grooves, slides mounted on the vertical frame and provided with vertical ribs fittingin the said grooves,and the horizontal supporting-frames pivoted between their ends to the standards and having their inner ends pivoted to the slides and arranged at the bottom of the vertical frame and adapted to move upward thereon to fold them, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising the pivoted inclined standards, the vertical frame depending from and supported by the upper ends of the standards, and having at opposite sides vertical bars terminating at their lower ends above the supporting-surface and at about the centerof the standards and provided with grooves, the slides provided with vertical ribs to fit in the grooves and having horizontal loops arranged on the vertical bars, the horizontal frames pivoted between their ends to the standards and having their inner ends pivoted to the slides and arranged at the lower ends of the vertical bars and adapted to move upward thereon in folding the device, and fastening devices mounted on the vertical bars for retaining the slides, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

S. J. SUMNER, W. P. SMITH. 

